Clamping system for roll-type planishing machine



May 16, 1967 DlOLOT 3,319,453

CLAMPING SYSTEM FOR ROLL-TYPE PLANISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1963 mun/roe Laue'nl amLof 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 16, 1967 L. DIOLOT 3,319,453

CLAMPING SYSTEM FOR ROLL-"TYPE PLANISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mun/r04 Lucien armor 197T GENE V May-16, 1967 I L. DIOLOT 3,319,453

CLAMPING SYSTEM FOR ROLL-TYPE PLANISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1.963 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 y 6 1967 I DIOLOT 3,319,453

CLAMPING SYSTEM FOR ROLL-TYPE PLANISHING MACHINE Filed NOV. 22, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 awn/me Lac/EM omaaf 13) W a ,v.

HIToPA/ZY 9 United States Patent Office 3,319,453 Patented May 16, 1967 3,319,453 CLAMPING SYSTEM FOR ROLL-TYPE PLANESHING MACHINE Lucien Diolot, Neuilly-sur-Seiue, France, assignor to Societe Nouvelie Spidem, Paris, France Filed Nov. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 325,715 Claims priority, application France, Nov. 23, 1962,

14 Claims. (CL 72406) The present invention is concerned with the control and regulation of conventional roll-type planishing machines having two layers or rolls between which the metal plates to be planished are passed.

The frames supporting the two layers of rolls must be clamped against the metal plates in a reliable and accurate manner. This is generally effected by means of nut and bolt systems situated at the four corners of the layers of rollers.

The accuracy of such nut and bolt systems is limited, and they have a poor resistance to any overloading which may occur. Furthermore, the synchronisation of the movements necessary to ensure that the axes of the rolls of the two layers are always exactly parallel is difiicult to achieve and requires complicated and delicate mechanical systems.

Furthermore, in order to permit the introduction of the metal plate into the planishing machine, the two layers of rolls must be rocked rapidly with respect to one another, which requires a second device which is separate from the first in order to carry out this movement by pivoting in a frame of the cradle on which one of the layers is fixed.

The present invention relates to a hydroelectric delay control permitting, by means of a single mechanism, of carrying out both the precise parallel clamping and the overall inclination of a roll-type planishing machine, it being possible for this latter movement to be carried out slowly for the purpose of regulation or rapidly, when the necessity arises, for the introduction of a metal plate for example. This control requires only low-power motors, owing to the high efficiency with which it operates.

The clamping system according to the invention is characterised in that it comprises jacks whose action is perpendicular to the plane of the two layers of rolls, the said jacks being synchronised for carrying out the various movements.

The invention will be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustrative example and are not intended to be limitative.

FIGURE 1 shows an overall view of a planishing machine provided with a clamping system according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a partial view showing the portion of the clamping system which is situated in the corner of the planishing machine.

FIGURE 3 is a partial view showing the part of the clamping system which is situated on the upper frame of the planishing machine.

FIGURE 4 is a diagram illustrating the supply to one of the jacks of the clamping system.

The planishing machine shown in FIGURE 1 is constituted by two frames, the upper frame '1 which carries the set of rolls 2 and the lower frame 3 which carries the set of rolls 4. These two frames are connected by four elements 5 which will be described hereinafter and are arranged at the four corners of the planishing machine. Four jacks 18 are also situated at these four corners, their cylinders being fastened to the lower frame 3 and their rods to the upper frame 1. These jacks 18 are supplied by a pressure generator 19 which is independent of the planishing machine, by way of conduits 24 which are resistant to high pressures.

Also fixed to the upper frame 1 are two motors 15 and the cylinders of four jacks 11 having a small cross-section and a considerable length of travel. The cylinder of each jack 11 is connected to the cylinder of a jack 7, situated in the element 5 which corresponds thereto, by a conduit 25 which is resistant to high pressures.

The jacks 11 and the motors 15 are connected to two jacks -18 in the way which will be described hereinafter with reference to FIGURE 3.

The planishing machine also comprises an assembly 21 of two photoelectric barriers, one arranged at the entrance for the metal plate, and the other at the exit.

The part 5 shown in FIGURE 2 is in the form of a stirrup in which the jack 7 is situated. Engaging in this stirrup are the ends of the frames 1 and 3, the end of the frame 1 coming into contact with the upper portion of the stirrup 5 and the end of the frame 3 resting on the rod 8 of the jack 7, which has a short travel and a considerable cross-section, and whose cylinder bears on the lower portion 6- of the stirrup 5.

Between the end of the frame 3 and the rod 8 of the jack there is arranged a parallelepipedic block 9, between the stirrup 5 and the end of the frame 1 on the one hand and the cylinder of the jack 7 on the other hand, two cylindrical blocks 10 are situated.

In FIGURE 3 we see the connection between the motors 15, the jacks 11 and the jacks 18. The two motors 15 each drive a reduction gear unit 14. The two reduction gear units 14 can be connected integrally to one another by a clutch 16 which in the example described is of an electro-magnetic type, but which could be of any desired type provided that it ensures drive without slipping.

Each reduction gear unit '14 drives at its lowest speed, acting in the manner of a nut, a screw 13 whose extension forms the rod of the jack 17. This jack 17 is fastened, by the upper portion of its cylinder, to a part 26 which is itself connected to the rods 12 of two of the jacks 11. Each motor thus controls two jacks 11, one controlling the two jacks 11 placed at the metal plate entry side and the other those which are situated at the exit side. On each screw 13 a nut 27 constitutes an adjustable end-of-travel abutment.

The jacks 17 are supplied from the pressure source 19 in the manner indicated in FIGURE 4.

The pressure source 19 supplies the jacks 17 by way of a flow regulator 20; electromagnetic valves 22 control the admission of oil and subjection to atmospheric pressure.

These electromagnetic valves are operated by a timing mechanism 23 itself triggered by the photoelectric barriers 21.

The planishing machine described hereinbefore operates in the following manner:

The jacks 18, which are referred to as the balancing jacks, are normally under pressure and they exert a pressure which tends to separate the two frames.

The jacks 17 are normally under pressure in such a manner that, bearing on the screws 13, the cylinder 17 tends to descend until the part 26 comes into contact with the piston, thus making the rods 12 and 13 of the same series (entrance or exit) fast with one another.

In the embodiment herein described, the two reduction gear units 14 are arranged in opposite senses. Thus, when the clutch 16 is disengaged and the two motors 15 rotate in opposite directions, the screws 13 are displaced in the same direction. Since jacks 17 are under pressure, the displacement of screws 13 will result in a similar displacement of jacks 17, thereby driving the rods 12 by means of the member 26. It is to be noted that the jacks 11, which are fastened to plate members 29 are not in communication with pressure generator 19 but are, instead, in direct communication with jacks 7 through conduits 25. The displacement of rods 12 by member 26 is therefore translated proportionally to jacks 7. Each of the rods 12 disposed on one side of the machine displaces the same quantity of fluid in the jack 7 and con sequently, the axes of the rolls in both layers 2 and 4 remain parallel during this slow clamping movement.

When clutch 16 is engaged, the two motors 15 rotate at precisely the same speed and the two screws 12 are displaced equally in opposite directions. Consequently, the entrance side and the exit side of the frame are displaced at the same speed in opposite directions. A slow rocking movement of the frame is thus obtained about an axis parallel to the axes of the rolls and situated precisely midway between the entrance side and the exit side of the frame.

The two above-described operations constitute the idle regulation of the planishing machine.

In order to introduce a metal plate into the planishing machine, the entrance side of the upper frame 1 must be lifted, and closed on the metal plate when the latter is engaged, returning to the exact position obtained by the idle regulation.

This operation is accomplished simply by discontinuing the pressure from pressure generator 19 to the jack 17 disposed on the metal plate entrance side of the frame. The jacks 18, on the same side of the frame, which are still under pressure from pressure generator 24, and which tend to separate the two frames 1 and 3, are now unopposed by the jack 17 on the entrance side of the frame. This unbalance causes these two jacks 18 to react on the jacks 7 on the entrance side of the frame, which in turn transmit this pressure to the jacks 11 on the same side of the machine, whose rods 12. lift plate member 26 until it contacts the limiting nut 27. The resulting motion is, therefore, rapid rocking movement about an axis parallel to the rolls and located at the exit side of the frame.

In order to restore the frame to the position defined by the idle regulation after the metal plate has been introduced, it is merely necessary to restore the pressure from the pressure generator 19 to the jack 17 on the entrance side of the frame. This rapid rocking movement can be controlled by the two photoelectric cells 21 combined with the timing device 23. The speed of this movement is regulated by means of the flow regulator 20 shown in FIGURE 4.

During the rocking movement, the automatic aligning of the parts compressed in the stirrup is ensured by means of the cylindrical blocks shown in FIGURE 2.

The planishing machine is perfectly symmetrical, which permits of smoothing the metal plates in the opposite sense if this is necessary, by interchanging the entrance and the exit side.

For cleaning and inspecting the rolls, the frames must be held very far apart from one another. This is achieved by discontinuing pressure in the jacks 18 of FIGURE 1, and then the two frames descend on one another. The jacks 17 being both under pressure, the rods 12 are lifted and the rods 8 in FIGURE 2 are in the low position, which makes it possible to remove the parallelepipedic blocks 9. Then pressure is re-established in the jacks 18, which removes the two jacks from one another to the maximum distance permitted by the stirrup 5. In order to work in complete security, blocks are placed between the two frames, which makes it possible to discontinue pressure in the jacks 18.

The clamping system according to the invention has a certain number of advantages.

The accurate and reliable hydraulic systems ensure reliable operation of the clamping system.

During all movements the axes of the upper and lower rolls remain strictly parallel.

The slow rocking movement is carried out exactly about an axis parallel to the axes of the rolls and central with respect to the planishing machine.

The demultiplication effect of the ratio of the travels of jacks 11 and 7, which is added to that of the reduction gear unit 1 4, makes it possible to obtain very accurate regulation of the spacing of the rolls.

Closing and opening can be carried out by means of a rapid manipulation, and its speed is regulatable by means of the flow regulator 20.

The system can accept accidental overloading which is taken up by the hydraulic fluid.

The jacks use up very little energy, and the system requires only low-powered motors.

The force necessary for planishing can be determined by a simple pressure measurement.

The clamping device which has just been described is one possible form of embodiment of the clamping system according to the invention, and it will be understood that constructional modifications can be made thereto without thereby departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A roll-type planishing machine comprising an upper frame, supporting an upper layer of rolls, said upper frame having four substantially horizontal arm members defining four corners, a lower frame, supporting a lower layer of rolls, said lower frame having four substantially horizontal arm members defining four corners and respectively located below said arm members of said upper frame, thus forming four pairs of arm members, stirrup members surrounding said pairs of arm members at each of said four corners, first jack means disposed between the arm members of each pair for displacing said arm members away from one another, second jack means disposed between one of the said arm members of each of said pairs and said stirrup members for displacing said arm members of each of said pairs toward one another, each of said second jack means thus working in opposition to a corresponding one of said first jack means, a source of pressure connected respectively to each of said first jack means and each of said second jack means, and control means for selectively regulating the pressure supplied to each of said first jack means and each of said second jack means.

2. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 1, wherein said first jack means and said second jack means are hydraulic.

3. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 2, wherein each of said second jack means is connected to said pressure source by a third jack means having a cylinder of relatively great length and small cross-section.

4. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 3, wherein the piston of one of said third jack means, con nected to the said second jack means located at one of said corners is mechanically coupled with the piston of another of said third jack means connected to the said second jack means located at a corner adjacent to said one of the corners, the pistons of the others of said third jack means being similarly mechanically coupled, thus forming two pairs of coupled third jack means.

5. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 4, further comprising a separate pressure control device for controlling the pressure supplied to each of said pairs of mechanically coupled third jack means.

6. A roll-type planishing machine acording to claim 5, wherein the cylinders of said third jack means are fixed relative to said upper frame and said separate pressure control devices each comprise a fourth jack means having a cylinder and piston which are movable relative to said upper frame, said cylinder being mechanically coupled to the pair of pistons of said mechanically coupled third jack means, the inner space of said movable cylinder of each of said fourth jack means being connected to a pressure source.

7. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 6, wherein the said relatively movable pistons of each of said fourth jack means is mechanically connected to a separate geared motor unit.

-8. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 7, further comprising coupling means operable for mechanically coupling the shafts of the two said motor units.

9. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 8, wherein said motor units are fixed securely to said upper frame.

10. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 6, wherein said fourth jack means are connected to said fluid pressure source by means of a regulator for controlling the flow of the pressure transmitting fluid.

11. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 10, wherein said regulator is connected to a control means sensitive to the introduction into the machine of a sheet of metal to be worked on.

12. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 11, wherein said control means comprises a photoelectric 6 detector controlling said regulator through a time-delay device.

13. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 7, wherein said first jack means of each of said corners are hydraulic jacks connected to a common pressure generator.

14. A roll-type planishing machine according to claim 8, wherein said coupling means comprises an electromagnetic clutch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,048 3/1890 Harvey 72406 858,096 6/1907 Murdock et al. 72406 1,730,642 10/1929 Budd et al. 72245 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

L. A. LARSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROLL-TYPE PLANISHING MACHINE COMPRISING AN UPPER FRAME, SUPPORTING AN UPPER LAYER OF ROLLS, SAID UPPER FRAME HAVING FOUR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ARM MEMBERS DEFINING FOUR CORNERS, A LOWER FRAME, SUPPORTING A LOWER LAYER OF ROLLS, SAID LOWER FRAME HAVING FOUR SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL ARM MEMBERS DEFINING FOUR CORNERS AND RESPECTIVELY LOCATED BELOW SAID ARM MEMBERS OF SAID UPPER FRAME, THUS FORMING FOUR PAIRS OF ARM MEMBERS, STIRRUP MEMBERS SURROUNDING SAID PAIRS OF ARM MEMBERS AT EACH OF SAID FOUR CORNERS, FIRST JACK MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ARM MEMBERS OF EACH PAIR FOR DISPLACING SAID ARM MEMBERS AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER, SECOND JACK MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN ONE OF THE SAID ARM MEMBERS OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS AND SAID STIRRUP MEMBERS FOR DISPLACING SAID ARM MEMBERS OF EACH OF SAID PAIRS TOWARD ONE ANOTHER, EACH OF SAID SECOND JACK MEANS THUS WORKING IN OPPOSITION TO A CORRESPONDING ONE OF SAID FIRST JACK MEANS, A SOURCE OF PRESSURE CONNECTED RESPECTIVELY TO EACH OF SAID FIRST JACK MEANS AND EACH OF SAID SECOND JACK MEANS, AND CONTROL MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY REGULATING THE PRESSURE SUPPLIED TO EACH OF SAID FIRST JACK MEANS AND EACH OF SAID SECOND JACK MEANS. 